The majority of the time, an autistic person who is given the opportunity to stim will figure out what type(s) and method(s) they prefer on their own. However, this can be difficult for late diagnosed people who grew up socialized that stimming was a negative behavior. They then have to learn, for the sake of their mental health, how to let their bodies do what they were designed to do. 

The autistic body exists in a world that was not necessarily made for it to thrive and grow, and stimming is one example of this. Behaviors such as hand flapping and rocking are known by most to be linked to autism, so engaging in these behaviors in public essentially announces the person’s autism to the world. Because of this, people who were socialized to hide their autism often find smaller and more discreet ways to stim such as wringing their hands or chewing on the inside of their cheek. These behaviors are more associated with anxiety, so doing them in public will not call out a person’s autism in the same way. 

If you are autistic or know somebody who is and you are looking to begin to encourage healthy stimming behaviors, I would recommend getting or making a stimming starter kit. This could include any pre-made stimming products that peak your interest, or it could be handmade. Etsy and Amazon are good websites to start off with if you are unsure what stimming tools might be most useful. I primarily use the website Autastic because they are autistic owned and feature a large variety of chewables, which is one of my most preferred stimming methods. 

As the autistic person explores stimming behaviors, they will likely gravitate to certain tools or methods more than others, and you can begin to tailor to them. It is important to note that you should never try to suppress stimming behaviors unless they are causing physical harm to the self or others. In these cases, there are other resources for replacing those behaviors with ones that are not harmful but still meet the sensory need. 

Happy stimming!